Friendship Cake Takes Time, But It Pays Delicious Dividends

Friendship cake is so named because the cook ends up with so much of the basic sour-dough starter--even after the cake is baked--that there`s plenty left over to give away to friends.

The basic sour dough is made by placing a mixture of flour, sugar, yeast and milk in a warm place until it ferments and increases sufficiently in bulk; meanwhile, the cook ``feeds`` the starter by stirring extra flour, milk and sugar into it every few days. Friendship cake, which is also known as Herman cake, takes time to make, but is delicious and popular among cooks who enjoy the process of making the sour-dough starter.

We are offering recipes for two friendship cakes. The first, friendship cake I, is based on two recipes: the plain starter 1 recipe and the friendship cake 1 recipe which uses the plain starter as an ingredient.

Friendship cake II is based on three recipes: the plain starter recipe, a second starter-type recipe with fruit, which also undergoes a fermenting process, and the friendship cake II recipe.

PLAIN STARTER

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Standing time: 10 days

5 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups warm water (105 to 115 degrees)

1 3/4 cups sugar

1 envelope dry active yeast

3 cups milk

1. Mix 2 cups of the flour, water, 1/4 cup of the sugar and yeast in glass or stoneware container with a loose fitting top. Let stand overnight, loosely covered, in a warm place. The next day, refrigerate, loosely covered. Stir every day for 5 days.

2. On the fifth day, add to the mixture 1 cup flour, 1 cup milk and 1/2 cup sugar. Stir well and return to the refrigerator, loosely covered. Continue stirring daily for 5 more days, making a total of 10 days.

3. On the 10th day, the starter is ready to be used in the friendship cake recipe. If you don`t wish to bake on the 10th day, stir 1 teaspoon sugar into the whole amount of starter. Stir another teaspoon of sugar into the whole amount of starter every 10 days. This will keep it alive and well fed for several weeks until you are ready to use it again.

4. Once you have removed 2 cups of starter to make the friendship cake, do not stir sugar into the remainder of the starter. Instead, remove and reserve 1 cup of starter for yourself. Then give each of your friends 1 cup of the remaining starter along with the following instructions:

A. Put the 1 cup starter into a crock and start over: stir in 1 cup flour, 1 cup milk and 1/2 cup sugar. Stir this all together well and let it sit in the refrigerator 5 days, stirring it each day.

B. On the fifth day, add another cup flour, another cup milk and another 1/2 cup sugar. Let sit another 5 days, stirring each day.

C. On the 10th day, either bake a friendship cake or stir 1 teaspoon sugar into the starter.

3. Meanwhile, for brown sugar glaze, boil butter, brown sugar and milk in a small saucepan 5 minutes. Pour glaze over hot coffeecake as soon as it is removed from oven. Cool completely on wire rack.

The following fruit ferment cannot be made without first making the plain starter above.

FRUIT FERMENT

About 4 1/2 cups

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Fermenting time: 30 days

1 1/2 cups plain starter

2 1/2 cups sugar

1 can (29 ounces) sliced peaches with juice

2 1/2 cups sugar

1 can (20 ounces) chunk pineapple with juice

2 1/2 cups sugar

1 can (30 ounces) fruit cocktail with juice

1 jar (10 ounces) maraschino cherries with juice

1. Put starter, 1 1/2 cups sugar and peaches with their juice into a 1-gallon container (such as a glass jar with a wide neck or a stoneware crock). Stir well, cover loosely and leave on the counter for 10 days, stirring it once a day with a clean spoon.

2. On the 10th day, add 2 1/2 cups sugar and pineapple with its juice and stir well. Let sit for another 10 days, stirring once a day as before.

3. On the 20th day, add another 2 1/2 cups sugar, fruit cocktail with its juice and maraschino cherries with juice. Stir well and let sit another 10 days, stirring once a day as before.

4. On the 30th day, separate the liquid from the fruit by straining over a bowl. Divide the liquid into thirds.